The Gardens at Holme. Guide to the Gardens. The Hot Borders. The Pond

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1 The Gardens at Holme If you are new to gardening or even if you don t consider yourself a gardener you will still enjoy the setting, the ambience, the scents, the colours and the wildlife to be found in the gardens at Holme. If you are a more accomplished gardener you will enjoy a walk round for all the above reasons and you may well see some plants that you are not familiar with. Either way no trip to Holme is complete without exploring what the gardens have to offer. The basic layout is strongly influenced by gardens such as Hidcote Manor and The Laskett and the garden is made up of distinct rooms separated by hedges and areas of taller planting but linked by walks and the visitor is lead on by vistas and focal points and an urge to discover what is round the corner. The garden is still in its infancy and has a long way to go before it can be billed alongside the two aforementioned but regular visitors love seeing the garden develop with more additions and expansions occurring each year. With modern housing developments reducing the size of gardens we hope the people of Purbeck and visitors from further afield see Holme as their place to find some outdoor space and enjoy floral displays on a scale that they simply may not have time or the resources to create in their own garden and which certainly are no longer provided by local authorities. Guide to the Gardens The Hot Borders At their best in July and August when the wide range of Crocosmia and Red Hot Pokers are showing off but these borders also contain some gems such as the ginger lily (Hedychium), Watsonia and Paeonia peregrina. Also look out for the exceptionally rare trees Emmenopterys henryi which has only ever flowered 5 times in the UK and also the Kentucky coffee tree Gymnocladus dioicus. The Pond The large pond to the south of the Orchard Café was redeveloped in 2013 to Simon s design by Mark, John and Miv of Knowle Landscapes. There had been a pond on this site installed by Simon s father Jim as a reservoir for the fruit farm irrigation and also to encourage wildlife but it was rather hidden behind a rockery and the pond liner was split so water was always leaking. The rockery rather obscured the view from inside the Orchard Café and from its outdoor seating area so before construction of the new pond could start, 1000 tons of soil was excavated so that the new pond would be lower and deeper and that when viewed from the Café people would look straight out over the water and the patio would go right up to the water s edge. The new kidney shaped pond is loved by all who see it. It has been carefully designed so that visitors can get right up to the edge in several places and although the water is 1.5m deep in the middle it is only knee deep at the edge. Deep enough for the large koi carp to swim right to the edge but shallow enough that a child could find their feet if they fell in. The remaining surround is made up of 4 large bog garden beds filled with moisture loving plants. The display in these beds starts in March

2 with snakes head fritillaries, drumstick primroses and king cups and continues without stopping right through to October with Astilbe, candelabra primroses, shuttlecock ferns, Arum lilies, sweet rocket, the giant Filipendula rubra and everyone s favourite the bog sage Salvia uliginosa. There are three large terraces from which to enjoy some refreshments and relax whilst gazing out over the water. In summer water lilies grace the surface of the pond whilst in winter the white trunks of the surrounding birches and the beautiful Purbeck stone walls of the raised beds are reflected in the water. The planting at the southern end is shaded and here Japanese maples and woodland plants such as Hosta and Pulmonaria thrive. The Lower Pond Completed in early 2015 this pond is much smaller than the main pond but no less interesting incorporating as it does a woodland rockery over which a waterfall tumbles and through which a small stream makes its way. The rockery itself is dramatic with large rocks, some weighing up to 500kgs and it visually links the two ponds. Through it run two stepped paths to create a circulation route with the main pond. A medium and small patio with pond side seating provide great views of the waterfall and rockery planting. There are some fantastic ferns in this area provided by our fern growers Bob and Gill Hollister. In May and June the unfurling new fronds are a sight to behold. Although the planting in this area is more muted than by the main pond there is much to savour with some recently introduced plants like Hydrangea Dolce Kiss but also woodland cranesbills, wood anemone, Hostas and Heuchera. From this list of plants you might think the area was very shady but actually the larger of the 2 patios is in sun for much of the day and here the purple leaved south American plant Loropetalum Fire Dance thrives and in the south east corner the New Zealand tree Hoheria produces its gorgeous white flowers in August. There is a small bog garden on the east side of the pond which slopes into the water acting as a wildlife shelf allowing toads, frogs and newts to get in and out. Here the large leaved Peltiphyllum peltatum produces its pink flowers in spring before its distinctive waist high, umbrella shaped leaves appear. The Pink and Purple Walk These borders show off between May and September starting with the purple leafed cherry Prunus Royal Burgandy, the delicate Dicentra eximia and Paeonies. These give way to the feathery foliage of bronze fennel mixed with catmint, ascending spires of Campanula lactiflora, the beautiful single flowered Rose Dainty Bess and the gorgeous rambling R. Laure Davoust. Later colour comes from a mix of perennials and annuals with Sarah Raven s Cosmos Pink Picotee and Verbena bonariensis featuring strongly. Look out for hummingbird hawk moth and butterflies feeding on the Verbena in late summer. The Cloister Garden This is Simon s take on an idea he had from reading Dr. Katherine Swift s book The Morville Hours in which she talks of a Cloister Garden she created in Shropshire. The central feature and focal point

3 at the end of the hot borders is a hexagonal seat round the trunk of the Norway Maple Acer Princeton Gold. The vivid yellow leaves of this tree contrast with the clipped purple beech hedges which have been planted to form four rectangular beds viewed through raised arches in the beech hedging. The planting theme is orange David Austin Roses including R. The Lark Ascending, R. The Lady of Shallot, R. Jayne Austin and R. Jude the Obscure contrasting with the purple hedge background. Sit here and enjoy the scent with views west back up the Hot Borders, south into the Palm Garden or north into the start of the recently planted arboretum. The Palm Garden As the name suggests this garden has 4 strong Chamaerops excelsa with their hairy trunks and bold foliage featuring strongly. Other architectural foliage is provided by the bamboo clumps, Agapanthus, Red hot Poker and Phormium Black Adder. The garden has a meandering form of grass paths from which one can enjoy the infill planting which strongly features grasses and the Salvia Black and Blue. In the south west corner there is a gorgeous Robinia ambigua, a small to medium sized tree with Wisteria like leaves and beautiful pink pea flowers in summer and in the north west corner the Red Buckeye Aesculus pavia a pink flowered relation of the horse chestnut. To the east providing the garden with protection is a collection of rare trees and shrubs. There are several varieties of Magnolia, the Caramel tree Cercidiphyllum, a sweetly scented Azara, Pittosporum Victoria and Staphylea colchica with it s pretty white flower trusses in spring followed by the impressive green white bladders in summer. Influences Knoll Gardens at Wimborne, the designer Piet Oudolf, Alan Bloom s Dell Garden and Abbotsbury Botanic Gardens The Pear Walk Another idea from Katherine Swift. The 20m double row of trained Pears features 30 different varieties. Eventually the plants will be trained to form a tunnel. The Pear walk separates the Palm Garden and the Kitchen Garden and is used by fruit picking customers to access the southern field. The Kitchen and Cutting Garden Started in 2014 this area is laid out to a formal style with grass paths separating 8 rectangular beds. There is a strong central access and eventually this area will have an impressive feature at the main cross axis and the beds will be edged with low hedges. The planting changes each season with vegetables and herbs mixing with ornamental bulbs, annual and herbaceous plants. The Wedding Borders Running parallel to the Hot Borders and to the south of the Events Lawn these beds have an arbour focal point on the higher western end and at the eastern end the path runs through a rose archway where it joins the arboretum. The planting theme is predominantly white with a little cream and mauve. There are four artichoke plants with dramatic silver foliage and giant flower stalks bear the massive mauve blue thistle flowers in summer. The bees love the flowers and over 20 bumble bees

4 have been observed on just one thistle head. Other plants to look out for here are the Verbascum chaixii Album and the giant yellow scabious Cephalaria gigantea. Most of the time these borders are open to the public but occasionally maybe hired along with the events lawn for a private function. The Events Lawn This lawned area is available to hire for parties and Weddings. Bookings are managed by Blue Bay Events contact details. At other times it is open to the public. The Arboretum The gardens already contained over 100 varieties of trees but in the spring of 2015 a large expansion to the range of trees took place. Another 270 new types of garden tree were added by taking in a further 3 acres of the fruit farm stretching northwards from the kitchen garden alongside the Events Lawn and northern car park. The collection contains over 40 different ornamental cherries, 30 Magnolia varieties, 25 types of Birch species, 25 different Rowans and a whole host of smaller genera. As the trees develop the collection will be a fantastic reference for those looking to plant a tree in their own garden as they will be able to observe first hand the form, height, spread, flower and leaf colour of any particular tree. The Rose Borders These beds were planted with the help of the renowned David Austin Roses in Shropshire and feature 25 of their New English Roses. There is no particular colour theme with yellows and creams freely mixing with crimsons and pinks but the effect is lovely and many of the blooms are exquisitely scented. All the forms are repeat flowering but these borders are at their best in June / July and again in August when a strong 2 nd flush of flowering occurs. Thereafter there is always something in flower right up to November. The Apple Orchard Simon s father Jim Goldsack was an apple enthusiast and planted an Orchard of 40 different varieties when the fruit farm was moved to West Holme in the early 1980 s. The orchard was an integral part of the Fruit Farm until the latter part of the 1990 s but eventually was grubbed out as it was not commercially viable. The field from which the Orchard was removed was used for strawberry production for about a decade and the lower eastern end still forms part of the fruit farm with gooseberries, currants and rotating crops being grown here. The western end is gradually being turned over to gardens but 4 of the original cherry trees that Jim planted can still be seen in the east borders of the lower pond garden. Jim never lost his enthusiasm for apples and just before he died in 2008 Simon started putting together a collection of apple varieties which are now planted in one of the lower fields to the north

5 east of the farm. This now has 170 varieties of apple and is still being added to. Unfortunately it is not open to the public as we have a small flock of sheep in it to keep the grass under control. However a display of the wide selection of fruit is used on autumn events days. Some varieties of apple and pear are available from the Holme Farm Shop in the autumn and the remainder are turned into juice which is sold in the Orchard Café and again through the Farm Shop. The Café at Holme was named the Orchard Café in memory of Jim Goldsack and his love of apples. Jim was excited about plans for the catering facility at Holme but didn t quite live to see it built. Future Plans for the gardens Pleached Hornbeam and Lavender Avenue At the eastern end of the garden separating the garden from the fruit farm a raised hedge of hornbeam will be planted to link the southern fields of the fruit farm to the northern ones and to connect the kitchen garden to the arboretum. Cloister Garden Extension This will link the Pear Walk, Arboretum, Cloister and Kitchen gardens with a two part formal garden. Topiary and statuary As budget allows more clipped topiary shapes, stoneware, pots and statues will be introduced to give all year round interest. The Arboretum Shrubs and bamboos will be added to the recently planted arboretum to separate areas and to help shelter the main garden from cold north and east winds. If space allows more trees will be planted to the north of the current arboretum. With so many amazing trees to grow how can we stop? For instance there is a French nursery that specialises in Oak trees and has over 150 varieties many with bold foliage and dramatic autumn leaf colours. Winter Garden. As the arboretum develops, circulating paths, shrub planting and woodland species will be added. An open area at the southern end will be turned into a winter garden so that visitors have something to enjoy all year round! Simon Simon Goldsack originally studied Amenity Horticulture at Writtle College near Chelmsford in Essex, but since then has continued adding to his knowledge through his: continual study of books by great designers and plantsmen,

6 personal experience of successes and mistakes when creating gardens discussions with fellow gardeners and from observations of good ideas on visits to other gardens Simon is now pouring this 25 year experience as a garden designer, nurseryman and landscaper into the creation of the gardens at Holme. The development of a garden is a journey not a destination and although still in their early, formative years the gardens at Holme are beginning to take shape.